seiyuu
Chiba, Reiko
- Other names
- Reiko Kirihara, 桐原麗子
Personal Information
Reiko Chiba, a Japanese actress, seiyuu, and occasional J-Pop singer, was born on January 8, 1975, in Tennouji-ku, Osaka Prefecture. A former member of the J-Pop group Aurora Gonin Musume, she legally changed her surname to Kirihara (Kirihara Reiko) following her 1998 marriage to Tetsuhito Kirihara. Despite this change, she continues to be professionally recognized by her maiden name or her nickname, Chibarei. Although born in Osaka, Chiba was raised in Fukushima Prefecture. Her career began as a teen model before she made her J-Pop debut on April 7, 1993, though she retired from the entertainment industry in 1995. During this period, her interests included computer games and online communication, and she appeared on the nightly radio program Akihabara Young Denkikan. Her voice acting credits include a cameo as herself in the anime film Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture. Chiba is perhaps best known for her roles as Mei/PteraRanger in the Toei Super Sentai series Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger and as Cham Cham in the Samurai Shodown franchise. Following her marriage in 1998 and the birth of her son in 1999, she adopted a more mature public image. She is now active as a certified yoga instructor, offering classes and publishing instructional books and videos, while also serving as the public face of Cherrybabe, Inc.
